Challenger goes big on e-commerce with Hachi.tech, its new lifestyle and tech marketplace

While we’re still a long way from the demise of actual brick-and-mortar stores, that doesn’t mean that e-commerce isn’t still a booming industry. Having said that, local tech retailer Challenger has rolled out Hachi.tech, its latest tech and lifestyle online marketplace for members only.

A product of Challenger’s Challenge Ventures unit, which was set up to help the company develop and advance its e-commerce strategy, Hachi.tech replaces Challenger’s previous online shopping site. It offers a more consumer-centric and informative online shopping experience, with care taken to provide things like detailed product descriptions, images with zoom selection, and even videos for over 20,000 gadgets and accessories across a wide range of brands and categories.

In addition, Hachi.tech will sell things like network installation services and software downloads, which sets it apart from Challenger’s physical stores.

Membership costs S$8 a year, and members will get to enjoy deals – up to 50 percent off selected products – and an accelerated rewards system. What this means is that members can earn points at a faster rate, with what looks like point multipliers (ranging anywhere from 1X points up to 30X points) attached to all products on Hachi.tech. For example, a S$200 product that awards 10X points would allow customers to earn 2,000 Hachi points, instead of just 200 points. Every 100 Hachi points can be used to offset S$1 at the next purchase, so 2,000 points can net you S$20 off.

Challenger is also extending Hachi.tech membership to existing ValueClub members, who can activate their one-time free Hachi account for the remaining duration of their ValueClub membership. Beyond that, ValueClub members will have to renew their ValueClub membership first in order to carry on as a Hachi member.

On top of that, Challenger is integrating its service across its online site and physical stores to provide shoppers with more freedom to choose how they receive their products. Hachi.tech offers both the choice of delivery and in-store pick-up from seven outlets (more to come in time), where the delivery fee will be waived for those who spend above S$88.

An integrated system will track inventory across the company’s warehouse and physical stores in real-time, so customers will always have up to date information on delivery times.

Hachi.tech ultimately amounts to quite an ambitious initiative from Challenger, which has traditionally been a brick-and-mortar store. The company even expects half of its revenue to come from Hachi.tech in the next three to five years.